As more than a thousand yidden of all walks of yiddiskeit gathered at the Kosel on leil Tisha B’Av, the nature of the spirit in the air was one of high complexity. While shedding tears at the site of the beis hamikdash that was lost to us over 1,940 years ago, we davened to Hakadosh Baruch Hu with a renewed anticipation for the coming of Moshiach that this would be the last time that we gathered here on this day in sorrow. Even if we were not zoche to see the geula this year, at least our tefilos should bring us one step closer to the geula sheleima. As an interesting aside, we all know that it was sinas chinam that brought about the last churban. It was therefore beautiful to see all the yidden at the Kosel mourning the loss of the beis hamikdash together – be they soldiers, chasisidm, or “Americanim” – we should all be zoche to have that achdus engulf all of Klal Yisroel as a whole this coming year.

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Credits: Yitzchok Russek / Kuvien Images